WGISport of the Arts

What is WGI

This is WGI--Video Clip

About Winter Guard International (WGI)

WGI Sport of the Arts is the world's premier organization producing indoor color guard, percussion, and wind ensemble competitions. As a non-profit youth organization, WGI serves as the leading governing body of the winter guard and indoor percussion activities. It is called the Sport of the Arts because it brings music to life through performance in a competitive format. Now entering its 38th year in 2015, the sport continues to evolve and grow. There were more than 36,000 participants at the regional level, and more than 12,000 participants at the Sport of the Arts World Championships this past April.

WGI's Purpose

WGI Sport of the Arts provides a venue for young people to achieve the extraordinary through performance and competition.

WGI's Mission

WGI Sport of the Arts:
-organizes high-energy and enjoyable color guard and percussion events.
-provides leadership through education to constantly improve the quality of ensembles
-develops our judging systems and adjudicators to ensure fair competition
-partners with corporations, educators and others to increase awareness and recognition of our art forms.

WGI's Values

WGI Sport of the Arts:
-exists for the participants, their leaders and supporters
-inspires our participants to achieve the highest artistic and creative standards
-views competition as a means to encourage the highest standard of excellence
-treats every participant as a unique individual with inherent dignity regardless of race, gender, creed, sexual orientation, origin or cultural background.
-believes that every program and style starts with an equal opportunity for success

General Info

WGI was founded in 1977 to draw together the growing winter guard activity, standardize rules, and provide leadership and guidance. Now there is an international organization that offers:

Standardized judging criteria within the activity

Improved communication.

Cooperation of local circuit organizations.

An Educational Division offering clinics, and both printed and video materials regarding the color guard and indoor percussion activities.

A network of Regional contests in the U.S., Canada, and Europe culminating in an annual International Championship in April.

WGI Sport of the Arts is governed by a Board of Directors composed of representatives from the top color guards and indoor percussion ensembles in the world, and “At Large” positions for individuals who bring their professional experiences to share with WGI.

Competition

WGI uses a competition-based approach for organizing events in order to showcase youth activities in pursuit of high standards of achievement. Events include about 42 Regionals and Elite Events, which lead to the three-day World Championships that evaluate more than 300 guards and 200 percussion ensembles from over 40 states and 4 countries.

Education

Color guard and indoor marching percussion ensembles are considered part of the music education curriculum by most schools. Education is the basis for the developmental criteria, which defines the measurement for competitive advancement. WGI Sport of the Arts provides curriculum materials for classes in equipment, movement, and design. WGI provides a full educational program for instructors and judges through seminars and video materials.

The organization promotes higher education by annually awarding $20,000 in academic scholarships to students from our competing units.

Winter Guard

Winter guard is the sport of indoor color guard. Modern color guard is a combination of the use of flags, sabers, mock rifles, and other equipment, as well as dance and other interpretive movement. Color guards can be found in, high schools, middle schools, some universities, and also some independent organizations some of which are related to drum corps.

Indoor Percussion

An indoor percussion ensemble or indoor drumline consists of the marching percussion (also called battery) and front ensemble (also called pit) sections of a marching band or drum corps. Indoor percussion marries elements of music performance, marching, and theater; thus, the activity is often referred to as percussion theater. Although most indoor percussion ensembles are affiliated with high schools, there are also many independent groups that draw participants from a large area.

Winds

Continuing the Sport of the Arts tradition of performance and competition, WGI Winds is a unique form of the marching music activity. In fact, Winds doesn’t mean “winds only.” Groups can include anything found in a concert band or orchestra as well as color guard and percussion performers. Winds is a natural extension of the WGI organization and will complete WGI’s support of the total band program

Competition Classifications:

All WGI contests provide two divisions of competition:

Scholastic - units whose membership comes from the SAME High School or a school that feeds to that particular High School.Independent - units whose members are not necessarily associated with a particular school.

The units are then further divided into classes:

A Class – Beginning programs and performers.

Open Class - The intermediate developmental level of performers.

World Class - The most advanced programs and performers.

Percussion also has Scholastic Concert Classes for units who do not include marching in their programs.

Did you know...

Winter Guard and Indoor Percussion are the fastest growing of the marching arts.